Angulimala Thera haunted by visions of his past killings
G.K. Ananda Kumarasiri
 BUDDHISM: He would visualize the gruesome scenes of the movements of
their limbs and their pale bloodless faces, when he was about to strike
them with his sword.
The dreadful visions of the bodies of his murdered victims scattered
along the cart tracks and forest fringe would return to torment him. The
sight of vultures, crows and hyenas scavenging on the rotting bodies
would nauseate him and cause him to lose his appetite for days.
Whenever gruesome visions of his past misdeeds entered Angulimala
Thera's mind, his heart would be consumed with deep remorse. It was
difficult for him to concentrate his mind in meditation because of these
mental and emotional disturbances.
Much as he tried to forget his cruel past, he could not escape from
this mental agony. But now, he felt he was 'spiritually reborn' and had
entered the Ariya Magga. Obviously, he had truly undergone a noble
transformation. By entering the Bhikkhu Order, he underwent a glorious
"spiritual rebirth".
The transformation of his mind and heart towards Metta and Karuna
provided him an inner power to alleviate the pitiful suffering faced by
ordinary folk. His inner power to heal and remove the suffering of
people far exceeded the ruthless power, he had wielded in the past, to
drive fear and to kill and destroy innocent human lives.
The very thought of his 'noble spiritual rebirth' inspired him
greatly and reinforced his Saddha in the Buddha Dhamma. Strengthened by
the belief of his 'noble spiritual rebirth', he endeavoured to perfect
his meditation.
To be continued |
